## August Went on a trek in the Alps with two friends, [[Le Tour des Ecrins - GR58]]. We had to stop halfway for health reasons. Nonetheless this was one of the most beautiful treks I ever took, I'll be back some day. ## July Went on trek around the Oléron island in France with my better half, [[Le Chemin d’Oléron]]. We had underestimated two things: 1. How hot it was going to be walking under the sun there with the sand reflecting a lot of heat 2. How unbearable the mosquito situation was going to be with salt marshes all around ## June After four years of dedicated work, I stepped down from my position as a CTO. There were many parameters involved, but mostly I was certain I could have been doing better work, but couldn't secure the resources to do so. Leadership, especially in a technology role, is about more than just building stuff; it’s about aligning on a vision and securing the commitment needed to execute it effectively. At some point, it became clear that my perspective on the company's strategic priorities and the path forward had diverged from that of the founders. It was time to acknowledge we had incompatible work philosophies. I preferred making a clean exit while it was still possible. It was a hard decision to make, and most definitely not the kind you want to be making in the spur of the moment. Once I had reached the decision, I wrote a draft email. Once I had the draft email, I improved it. Once I had improved it, I scheduled it for the next Monday during lunch. I went out on my lunch break without a phone or a computer, so I wouldn't be tempted to panic cancel the email. The email was sent. Everything that needed to happen next happened. I learned a great many thing and am to this day grateful for the opportunity I was trusted with. But I'm glad I didn't spend more time ruminating on that decision. This would have made things worse, all because I had a hard time implementing it.